Car-brake



(No Model.)

O. HIGHAM.

GAR BRAKE.

No. 252,662. Patented Jan. 24.1882.

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NTTED STATES PATENT rricn.

CHARLES HIGHAM, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,662, dated January24, 1882.

Application filed November 23, 1881.

-anism between the brake-shoes and the part to which the actuating poweris applied to be readily and conveniently adjusted for wear, so that thesaine range of movement of the actu= ating part-such, tpr instance, asthe piston of an atmospheric brake-will always produce substantially thesaine effect upon the brakeslioes.

The invention consists essentially in providing one of the links bywhich the arms of the usual levers are connected, with a movablebearing-block for one of the said arms, and with an adjusting device bywhich the said bearing` block may be moved longitudinally in or on thelink to vary its effective length, and thus compensate for wear.

Figure l is a side elevation of a car-truck provided with my invention,and Fig. 2 an enlarged top view ofthe end of the link provided with themovable bearing-block and its adjust ing device.

The power is applied to-the link a in any usual manner--foi' example,from the piston of an atmoslhelio-brake cylinder or a capstan operatedby hand. The said link a is connected with one arm ot' a lever, b,having its t'ulcruin 2 connected u ith thebrake-shoe c, and its otherarm connected by a link, d, with anotherlever, e, fulci'umed at3 on theframe-work ofthetruck, and connected with the brake-slioef, so that whena force is applied to the link a both brakeshoes c and f are pressedagainst the wheels simultaneously in the usual manner. When thebrake-shoes become worn the same range of movement of the link a willnot produce as great an amount ot' pressure between the shoes and wheelsas before such wear took place, which causes inconvenience when therange of movement of the actuating part is limited, as is the case witha piston moving in a cylinder.

(No model.)

In order to obviate'this inconvenience, one ot' the ylinks-as, forexample, the one marked d is made adjustable in its effective length ordistance between the points ot' connection ot' the levers, as follows:The end of the link d, connected with tlielever b, is forked, as shownat 4, Fig. 2, to embrace the end of the said lever, and each portion ofthe fork is slotted, as shown at 5, Fig. l, to receive a guide-pin, 6,ixed in the end ofthe lever b. A bearing-block, i, suitably recessed toreceive the end of the lever b and its pin 6, is guided in the saidslots 5, and may be moved longitudinallytherein bya set-screw, m,working -in a threaded socket, n, having lugs o, that engage the endsofthe slots 5, and thus aii'ord a bearing for the said socket. Acheckaiut, r, serves to retain the screw m in the desired position. Byturning the screw m into its socket the bearing block i and end of thelever b are brought nearer to the end of the lever e, and the faces ot'the brake-shoes brought nearer tothe wheels independently of themovement of thelink a, so that by adjusting the said screw as the partswear away the proper relation between the wheels, brakeslioes, and theiractuating part may bc maintained.

l claim- 1. The brake-'shoes and their operating-levers and a linkpivoted at one end to one ot' the said levers, combined with a movablebearing-block for the other lever mounted in the other end of the saidlink, and means to adjust its position in said link, substantially asdescribed.

2. The lever and link forked to embrace it and slotted at its end, asdescribed, combined with the bearing-block guided in the said slots, andits adjusting set-screw and threaded socket therefor, held in the end ofthe said slots, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereot'l have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HIGHAM.

Witnesses:

E. S. BoYNToN, R. T. ELLicoT'i.

